Call for comments on WSIS Forum 2011 venue

On 10 August, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), together with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), launched a multi-stakeholder open consultation on the venue for the next World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Forum (16-20 May 2011). Institutions, companies, civil society networks and individuals interested in the question are invited to participate in this process and to communicate their views.

By providing a space to exchange experiences and to promote new partnerships among stakeholders, the WSIS Forum aims to facilitate the implementation of eleven WSIS Action Lines, as formulated in the Geneva Plan of Action (2003). In 2010, the Forum brought together more than 600 physical and 1,500 remote participants from around the world.

As only five year remain to reach the internationally agreed development goals, including the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and WSIS targets, the organizers of the WSIS Forum feel that efforts need to be redoubled in order to advance and are considering holding the 2011 Forum in New York as to further enhance the WSIS process.

The multi-stakeholder online consultation will take place in various phases:10 August – 10 September 2010: online discussions at www.wsis-community.org; 10 August - 12 September 2010: submission of official statements at the online submission page;13 September - 14 September 2010: analysis of submitted official statements15 September 2010: announcement of the results at www.wsis.org/forum.